'And' Kim Do-young was also flustered by the 'ABS' pitch. But is this pitcher a genius? To instantly grasp the zone and deliver that pitch on the day... He truly deserves the national team jersey!

*This content was translated by AI.

One of the three pitches that resulted in Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers) striking out on three balls. The third pitch was a high outside strike that precisely hit the strike zone. However, the pitcher who threw this ball reportedly knew at that very moment that the zone was favorable for a strike and exploited it. It was as if he were a genius. That pitcher is Choi Min-seok (20), a national team pitcher for the Doosan Bears.

On the 11th, Choi Min-seok made a start in the away game against the KIA Tigers at the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. He pitched seven innings, allowing two hits, one walk, one hit-by-pitch, striking out eight batters, and giving up one earned run, securing his sixth win of the season (with two losses). The eight strikeouts he recorded today tie his personal single-game record, previously set on May 7, 2026, against LG in Jamsil.

It is no exaggeration to say that Choi Min-seok currently serves as the team's native ace. He has started 12 games this season, posting a record of six wins and two losses with an ERA of 2.88. Over a total of 68⅔ innings, he has allowed 54 hits (including three home runs), issued 31 walks, recorded 67 strikeouts, and surrendered 28 runs (22 earned). His WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) stands at 1.24, and his batting average against is 0.215. He has achieved seven quality starts (six innings pitched with three or fewer earned runs). He ranks fourth alone in ERA in the KBO League, tied for fifth in wins, and tied for 10th in innings pitched.

Choi Min-seok threw a total of 98 pitches today. He mixed 48 two-seam fastballs, 23 sweepers, 19 cutters, and 8 forkballs. His two-seam fastball reached a top speed of 147 km/h. Of the 98th pitches, 64 were strikes and 34 were balls. He recorded 15 first-pitch strikes and 10 first-pitch balls.

After becoming the winning pitcher, Choi Min-seok spoke to reporters, saying, "I prepared well and did what I usually do, which led to good results. My control was also good. I was able to throw breaking balls to the desired locations, allowing me to take an early advantage in the count. Having pitched well in the previous game against KIA, I had more confidence and could compete boldly without fear."

When asked about his desire to pitch more innings, he said, "I think pitching seven innings is enough, but I always want to try going into the eighth or ninth inning. I have ambition. (Regarding concerns about injury) I believe I should perform well while I am able to do so."

He was recently selected for the final roster of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games national team. Choi Min-seok stated, "I don't feel particularly more motivated, but since the Asian Games are in September, I want to manage my physical condition well and show my best form until the end."

In the fourth inning, Choi Min-seok faced leadoff batter Han Jun-soo and took a 2-1 count. However, he threw a fourth-pitch sweeper that hit the batter. Choi appeared visibly disappointed at that moment. He explained, "I wanted to get the leadoff batter out no matter what. But since the pitch hit the batter, I made that gesture out of regret."

The next batter was Kim Do-young. With a favorable 0-2 count, Choi Min-seok threw a two-seam fastball on the third pitch. The ball, from the perspective of a right-handed batter, precisely hit the upper outside corner of the strike zone and was called a strike. Kim Do-young made a flustered expression. Regarding this scene, Choi Min-seok reflected, "I heard that the Gwangju-KIA Champions Field generally has a slightly narrower inside zone for right-handed batters, but today it seemed like the inside zone for left-handed batters (outside for right-handed batters) was a bit wider. I got lucky and hit it well."

Choi Min-seok particularly dislikes issuing walks. He said, "Giving up one walk was acceptable. When pitching, there are necessary walks depending on the situation and unnecessary ones. This time, an unnecessary walk came out, so I was a bit disappointed." Regarding necessary walks, he expressed his view, "For example, if the fourth batter is up with first base empty, or in a tight situation late in the game, there are situations where you can avoid a head-on confrontation with a batter who hits well."

Finally, regarding the evaluation of him as the team's ace, he said, "I feel really good, but I still don't consider myself an ace. If I had a pitch that could definitely overpower batters, such as a definitive velocity like my teammate (Kwak) Bin, I could confidently say I am an ace. Of course, for the future, I always have ambition regarding velocity."

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*This content was translated by AI.